


Burn It Down

by IronRoseWriter



Series: Fullmetal Alchemist: Iron Rose [2]
Category: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Ana is Ed's daughter, Anti-Alchemist views, Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, Gen, Helios - Freeform, Iron Rose, Main characters are OC, Multi, NOT SISTER!!!, Non-Sexual Slavery, Not-Roman Colissium, Savon is Mustang's son, Slavery, Takes place 20 years later, Unofficial Sequel, canon ships, in-universe politics
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-06
Updated: 2017-09-06
Packaged: 2018-12-24 13:10:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,105
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12013431
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IronRoseWriter/pseuds/IronRoseWriter
Summary: It's been 20 years since Fullmetal defeated the homunculi. His daughter Ana, going by the State Alchemist code name Iron Rose and the last name Edwards, has set out on her own mission to make her own mark on the world. With her friends Savon Mustang, Naomi Reed and Jack Slate, she must fight an evil that is after her soul.But Ana's life isn't the only one at stake here. Jack has demons of his own that he must deal with before anyone can move forward.The second arc of Ana's story.





	Burn It Down

Ana, Jack, Naomi, and Savon had entered the West two hours ago. They were chugging along in the Western Express train to West City. At the moment they were listening to a woman speak over the radio.

_ “Alchemy is a curse that has swept this country. It has torn our--” _

“Not this again,” Jack complained. They had been listening to some western commander prattle on about the “dangers of alchemy” for about twenty minutes already and Jack was growing tired of it.

“Get used to it,” said Savon tiredly. “This stuff plays all the time in the West.”

“It does?” queried Naomi.

“Yeah. My dad talks about it sometimes. He says it's concerning, but that there's nothing that can be done about it right now.”

The radio interviewer asked another question and without anything else to do the four tuned back into the talk show.

_ “Almost twenty years ago this country was almost destroyed by alchemy. Twenty years before that, alchemy destroyed Ishval. The state alchemist program has been corrupted to the point that they allowed a twelve year old to enter…. _

* * *

In the radio station, Ascott continued, “The Fuhrer is sending children to the front lines! We glorify alchemists when we should be locking them up for the dangers they pose to the citizens of our great country.”

The host replied, “My goodness, General. You really are passionate about this aren’t you?”

“I’m passionate about my country and protecting the people in it,” Ascott stated.

“I completely agree with you, General Ascott. But our time together is drawing to a close. This has been Jeremiah Wall on 104.2, The Talk. Signing out,” said the announcer. The On-Air signal turned off and the two exited the broadcasting room.

* * *

 

When the four teens stepped onto the train platform in West City station, they were greeted by a moderately sized, muscular man.

“Major!” shouted Ana excitedly. She reached out and grabbed his hand, shaking furiously.

The man grinned broadly. “It’s nice to see you again, Iron Rose.”

The other teens stared wide eyed at Ana and the Major’s furious greeting. Ana noticed their shyness. 

“Major,” Ana exclaimed, “Have you met my friends here?”

The major smiled passively at the other teens. “No. I don’t believe I have.”

If it were possible, Ana’s grin got even broader. “These are my friends, Officer Naomi Reed, Jack Slate, code name Helios, and Savon Mustang. Guys, this is Major Michael Douglas, the Living Metal Alchemist.”

Savon’s eyes lit up in recognition of the name. “You were in Rixwell Point.”

Douglas nodded and the two shook hands. “It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Savon.”

Savon was surprised that Douglas had not reacted at his last name. Usually, the word ‘Mustang’ would send any soldier scurrying for a commanding officer. Frankly, it was getting annoying.

As if Douglas read his mind, the major chuckled heartily. “I know you’re the Fuhrer’s son. But I believe that every person has to make their own way in the world. Without the influences of others. Honor and power must be earned.”

It took a minute for Savon to fully process what exactly Douglas was saying. Once he did, however, his face broke into a delighted smile.

Naomi recognised Douglas as well. She saluted him and asked, “Why are you here, Major?”

“General Ascott assigned me to help guide you kids through the city. The West isn’t exactly friendly towards alchemists right now.”

“But aren’t you an alchemist?” asked Jack, pointing out the silver pocket watch hidden in the pocket of his uniform.

Douglas let out a loud guffaw. “You got that right, my boy!” Once the man’s broad shoulders stopped shaking from laughter, he said, “But I’m used to the city. And, unlike you, I know what places to avoid. Now, it’s probably best we get going. We leave for Pitland Wood in the morning.”

* * *

 

The major and the teens quickly left the train station and piled into the military issue car Douglas had brought to pick them up. There were only five seats in the car so Ana, Savon, and Jack all had to squeeze into the back. Savon had made a grab for the front seat but after one of Naomi’s death glares, he hopped into the back. 

Suddenly, Ana shouted, “STOP!”

Douglas slammed his foot on the brakes and Ana jumped out onto the sidewalk, slamming the car door open and shut. She started running down the sidewalk. Panicked, Naomi quickly shouted after.

“Ana!” she screamed. “What are you doing!?”

Douglas parked the car and the rest of the passengers got out. They all started jogging in the direction Ana had headed.

* * *

 

They found her a few blocks ahead, standing in front of a tattoo parlor.

“Okay. It’s decided,” she announced. “I’m getting a tattoo.”

Ana made as if to open the door, but Naomi grabbed her hand.

“No you don’t,” she said adamantly. “You think you can just get away with jumping out of the car, freaking everybody out, and running off?”

“What are you talking about?” asked Ana. “I didn’t do that.”

“Do you even remember what Major Douglas said in the train station?”

“Which part?”

Naomi groaned. She opened her mouth to speak, but Douglas intervened, “Iron Rose, you aren’t thinking about anyone but yourself. These people you’re with are your comrades, your teammates, your responsibility. You can’t afford  to make reckless and impulsive moves in enemy territory.” 

“It isn’t like that,” Ana said defensively. 

“Really?”  demanded Douglas with a glare. “Then what is it like?”

“No! It’s completely different!” Ana countered. “This isn’t ‘enemy territory’ and no one’s in danger.”

“This city and most of these people are hostile to alchemists. You and two of your friends are alchemists. Nor are the people here supportive of Mustang, which doubles the threat to Savon. You don’t even know if this place is friendly to alchemists or not.”

“They wouldn’t even have to know I’m an alchemist.”

“You’re practically flaunting that pocket watch. You--”

Douglas was cut off as Naomi pushed Ana to the ground. She caught the wrist of the  man about to plunge a knife into Ana’s back. Naomi twisted the man’s arm down, his knife slashed across the skin of her upper arm, drawing blood. She shouted in pain, releasing his arm. As the man started to run, Douglas jumped into action. He grabbed the man around the waist and tackled him to the ground. The knife slid across the sidewalk, out of the attacker’s reach.

Savon rushed to Naomi’s side. 

“Jack,” he commanded. “Find a phone and call the police and a hospital.”

Jack immediately rushed off the the nearest payphone.

Ana slipped out of her surprised stupor. She picked herself up and glanced around. A small crowd of curious onlookers had gathered around them. Douglas the attacker completely  subdued. Jack was on the corner in a phonebooth. Savon was completely focused on Naomi, who was giving him instructions on how to bandage her bleeding arm. 

Ana’s face twisted into an expression of worry. “Naomi?”

Savon and Naomi ignored Ana. Savon’s eyes were wide in fear and his corners of his mouth were pulled into a frown as he concentrated; Naomi’s eyes, on the other hand, were twisted shut in pain and her jaw was clenched. Savon turned back to his work. Ana flinched when Naomi hissed in pain as Savon attempted to stem the flow of blood from Naomi’s arm.

The sirens of police cars and an ambulance could be heard in the distance. Jack ran up and pushed through the crowd.

“I called them,” Jack stated. “They’re on their way.”

No one felt like pointing out that they all knew emergency vehicles were coming because everyone could hear the sirens.

The military police stepped out of their cars. The crowd parted to let the uniformed officers through. Two grabbed the attacker and escorted him to a squad car where a third officer open the door and shoved the man inside.

One of the officers knelt by Naomi and tried to help Savon stop the bleeding.

The paramedics arrived quickly after, and Jack and Anna were escorted to a police car. Savon was allowed to stay with Naomi as the medics loaded her into the ambulance. All he had to do was state his name and they let him in. He felt mildly bad for using his dad's name to manipulate them, but Naomi was more important.

Three medics sat in the back with him. They hooked Naomi up to a sedative and a morphine drip to dull the pain. Her eyes quickly start to close as the drugs took effect. One medic took Naomi's pulse, while the other two continued to halt the bleeding. Then Naomi's world faded to black.

* * *

 

Naomi woke up to Savon, Jack, and a radio. She blinked a few times then tried to speak.

“Hey,” she rasped. Her throat felt really dry. Jack and Savon lit up as they heard her speak. “Can I have--”

Savon anticipated her question because the nurse had told the boys that Naomi would probably be thirsty when she woke. He held up a glass of water. Naomi smiled and reached for it but stopped when she realized her arm was in a sling.

“They had to stitch it up.  They don’t want you moving it around and ripping the stitches, so the sling, “ Jack explained awkwardly.

Naomi nodded in understanding and took the glass with her left hand. She took a long sip and sighed contentedly. Suddenly, noticing a missing presence in the room, Naomi glanced around.

“Where’s Ana?”

* * *

 

Ana sat in the hardbacked chair in the hospital’s waiting room. She was hunched over and held her head in her hands. The guilt that was gnawing at her was almost unbearable.

“This is all my fault,” she murmured.

“You got that right,” said a gruff voice beside her. Ana looked up to see that Major Douglas had taken the chair on her left.

Ana gave him a hate filled glare. “I don’t think that’s what you’re supposed to say in these situations.”

“I’m only telling the truth. “ Douglas shrugged.

Ana turned around in her chair so her back was towards him. Douglas sighed. He knew that Ana was only acting like this because she was upset, but she needed this.

“Ana, turn around,” he commanded. When she did not, he picked up his chair and placed it in front of her. She did not turn away again, but she would not meet his eyes.

“This is what I was talking about. When a leader does something reckless on the battlefield--”

Ana’s head shot up. “Stop it,” she said quietly.

“What?” Douglas asked.

“Stop comparing this to a war. Real life isn’t all combat and battles.” Ana stood as she spoke and her voice rose with each word until she was nearly shouting. “You make it seem like--”

A nurse tapped Ana on the shoulder. “Please be quiet. We have patients trying to rest.”

Ana glared at the woman and stormed out of the waiting room. Douglas apologised for Ana’s behavior and quickly followed after the younger alchemist.

She had stormed out of the building and was leaning against the wall of the white washed building with a scowl on her face. 

“What was that?” he demanded.

“I don’t know.” Ana scowled at the ground. 

“I do,” Douglas said angrily. “That is exactly what I’m talking about. You’re too impulsive, too rash, and this is exactly the kind of behavior gets people hurt. You claim that the real world isn’t war and battles, well, you’re wrong. We’re both State Alchemists, dogs of the military. Our lives are war. That nurse was looking out for the patients in the hospital and you dismissed that as nothing. She could have been an ally but you ruined any chance of that because your feelings got hurt.”

Ana did not look up, but her voice wavered as she said, “That’s not it.”

“Isn’t it though?” Douglas pressed. “You got all caught up in yourself and somebody got hurt. The nurse, Naomi. Who’s next, Ana! Who?” The major was yelling now. “If you don’t start thinking about others, then when the battle’s over, you’ll be the only one left.”

Ana crumpled. She covered her face with her hands to hide the tears she had refused to let fall earlier. Douglas was right. He had been right about everything from the beginning. She  had not been thinking when she ran off. Naomi had been injured. Indestructible, Ana had called her once. Indestructible Naomi had gotten hurt and it was all because of her.

Douglas pulled Ana up off the sidewalk and helped her inside the building. He sat the young girl down in a chair and held her shoulder as she cried.

Once she got her breathing under control, she asked, “Is Naomi going to hate me now?”

The Major was not surprised that his was the first question Ana asked. “Let’s go see her and find out.”

* * *

 

Naomi pressed the boys for information. To their credit, they held up for almost two minutes under her acidic glare.

Savon caved first. “She’s in the waiting room.”

“Why?” asked Naomi.

“I don’t know,” replied Jack. “When you were brought into this room, we asked her to come but she said she’d rather wait out there.”

It may have been the drugs, but Jack’s response enraged her. Naomi sat up quickly. Just as she was about to stand, however, the door to the room swung open. In strode Douglas, followed by a rather subdued Ana. Naomi continued to her attempt to stand, but the major promptly forced her back into bed.

A silence fell over the room. Naomi glaring unhappily, Jack and Savon nervously eyeing each other, and Ana looking as if she was going to run out of the room any second. 

Douglas shattered the quiet with a heavy sigh. “Ana, get over here,” he commanded.

She trotted over to Naomi’s hospital bed. The older girl’s glare only grew harder as Ana refused to meet her eyes. A moment passed, then Naomi exploded.

“What is with you?!” she shouted. “I save your life and you don’t even want to see me?”

Ana’s head shot up in offended shock. “That’s not true!” she exclaimed. “I’ve been worried sick.”

“Then why have you been avoiding me?” Naomi demanded.

“I’m not.”

“Yes you are!”

“No!” Ana shouted, tears forming in her eyes once more. “I just didn’t know how to face you! I still don’t.” Her gaze dropped to the floor and her voice to a whisper. “It’s my fault you got hurt.”

Naomi rolled her eyes.  _ Of course, that was what Ana was thinking. _ “That’s absurd. My job is to protect you. Letting you get stabbed would make me a failure.”

“But we would’ve never been in that situation if I hadn’t been so reckless.”

“Ana, from the day I met you, you’ve been reckless. Most of those times, you’re the one who ends up hurt. But here’s the thing: no matter how perfect your plans are, people will still get hurt. It’s a fact of life. So be reckless; I’m always going to be there to keep you safe.”

Ana did not know what to say. She felt a weight lift from her chest and and she smiled. She pulled Naomi into a hug. The older girl gave a little laugh, which she later blamed on the drugs, and wrapped her good arm around Ana’s back.

* * *

 

Lori stepped off the bus with a scowl on her face. The trip to West City was exhausting. She had met with the Lisbeth man who was supposed to provide her with a new identity, but that fell through. At least she still had the money she would have paid him. It rounded out to about 30,000 cenz. That amount would last her at least week.

Lost in her thoughts, Alter did not hear the clicking heels approach her from behind. “Dr. Alter?” questioned a voice.

Lori spun around to face a tall, dark haired woman. She glared at the newcomer suspiciously. The woman continued to speak. “My name is Danielle Ascott. I know who murdered your husband.”

Lori froze. Her eyes rounded in surprise and shock then turned hard once more. “What do you know?” 

“My employer wishes to speak with you,” Ascott stated simply. She turned and began walk away. Alter followed cautiously. She knew the name Ascott. The woman was the general in charge of the West. As well as the strongest voice for the Anti-Alchemy movement. Ascott lead Lori to a dingy apartment building and quickly stepped inside. Alter followed the general to an flat on the first floor, close to the emergency exit. 

Ascott opened the door and Lori stepped inside. The room was clean, but there was little furniture or decor. The door shut with a click and she stood alone in the room. Most people would be scared, she supposed. Being locked in a room by someone who thought you were the scum of the earth probably was not a good thing. She was not scared, however. She had her alchemy and could fight her way out if necessary.

She heard footsteps and immediately turned towards them. What she found, shocked her.

Ascott’s “employer” was a young man. He looked to be barely twenty; it surprised her that a man so young would have a woman like Ascott under his thumb. He was tall, but not skinny. In fact, she could plainly see the muscles hiding underneath the light shirt he wore.

But his most striking features were above his chest. The young man’s hair was copy paper white. That, accompanied by the paleness of his skin, Lori guessed he was some type albino - a few of her early failures had yielded similar results. However, that theory was abandoned as soon as she saw his eyes. They were an icy blue, enforcing the coldness of his gaze. There was no warmth in his demeanor. The man bore a greater resemblance to a corpse than a human. 

He smiled at her and a shiver ran up her spine. It took her a moment to place the feeling; it was the fear missing from before.

“Ah, Mrs. Alter,” said the strange young man.

“It’s ‘doctor’,” she corrected, more by reflex than conscious thought.

“My apologies,  _ doctor _ .” Amusement and insincerity laced his tone.

“Who are you?” Alter demanded. “What are you? You certainly aren't human.”

The man’s freezing grin only widened. “I am a great many things, but you may call me Ovid.”


End file.
